This invention relates to the field of furnaces, and in particular, to a multipoise furnace cabinet.
The design of hot air furnaces has changed over the years. One type of furnace is designed as a multipoise furnace, that is, a furnace that can be installed in various orientations depending on whether a downflow or upflow furnace is desired, or even on its side if required by space constraints. Designing a furnace cabinet that can be installed in any of these orientations requires a multitude of changes in interoperable components. Traditionally, all furnaces in the residential market in the United States are 28xe2x80x3 (xc2x1Ixe2x80x3) deep with the front access door being about xc2xexe2x80x3 or less deep. There has been a trend in the market over the last several years to reduce the total furnace cabinet height from 40xe2x80x3 or more to the 30xe2x80x3-34xe2x80x3 range in order to improve installation flexibility and reduce costs. Unfortunately, ease of assembly, serviceability, and accessibility to components within the furnace are degraded as the cabinet becomes smaller. A novel cabinet design is needed to provide true multipoise capability while at the same time permitting ease of installation and accessability to interior components for repair and servicing.
Briefly stated, a multipoise furnace cabinet includes right and left sides with top and bottom plates connecting upper and lower parts of the right and left sides together. In one embodiment, top and bottom plates include vent cutouts. A side of the top plate has a first partially cut section that aligns with a second partially cut section in a door to the furnace cabinet, wherein the first and second partially cut sections substantially describe a circle, such that when the first and second partially cut sections are removed from the door and the cabinet, a resulting opening permits entry of a flue vent pipe. Front edges of the right and left cabinet sides are flanged, as are the front edges of the top and bottom plates. In another embodiment, the vent cutouts are entirely within the door.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a multipoise furnace cabinet includes right and left sides; a top plate connecting a top front section of the right side to a top front section of the left side; a bottom plate connecting a bottom front section of the right side to a bottom front section of the left side; the top plate including a vent cutout; the bottom plate including a vent cutout; and a first side of the top plate having a first partially cut section that aligns with a second partially cut section in a door to the furnace cabinet wherein the first and second partially cut sections substantially describe a circle, such that when the first and second partially cut sections are removed from the door and the cabinet, a resulting opening permits entry of a flue vent pipe.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a multipoise furnace cabinet includes right and left sides; a plate top connecting a top front section of the right side to a top front section of the left side; a plate bottom connecting a bottom front section of the right side to a bottom front section of the left side; a door; wherein the door to the furnace cabinet comprises a front portion; a right side portion and a left side portion connected to the front portion; a top portion connected to the front portion; a bottom portion connected to the front portion at an opposite end from the top portion; the front portion being rectangular in shape; and at least one of the right and left side portions and the top and bottom portions including at least one cutout section contained entirely within such portion, such that when at least one cutout section is removed from the door, a resulting opening permits entry of a flue vent pipe.